David Miliband and William Hague are implicated in three entirely new Adam Werritty/Matthew Gould meetings admitted by the FCO in response to one of my FOI requests. Gould’s meetings with Werritty, in his capacity as Principal Private Secretary to first Miliband and then Hague, were entirely left out of Gus O’Donnell’s “investigation” into Werritty’s activities.
I have now received the following FCO response to my Freedom of Information request on Gould/Werritty:
Thank you for your email of 24 November 2011 asking for “all communications in either direction ever made between Matthew Gould and Adam Werritty, specifically including communications made outside government systems”. I am writing to confirm that we have now completed the search for the information which you requested.
I can confirm that the FCO does hold some information relevant to your request.
There are entries in diaries indicating that there were two meetings at which Mathew Gould and Mr Werritty were both present while he was serving as Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary on 8 September 2009 and 16 June 2010.
Since Mr Gould was appointed as HM Ambassador to Israel on 11 September 2010 there were three further instances on 1 and 27 September 2010 in London and a dinner on 6 February 2011 in Tel Aviv. The meeting on 1 September and the dinner on 6 September are already matters of public record as they are included in the report by the Cabinet Secretary “Allegations against Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP” published on 18 October 2011. Mr Gould attended the Herzliya Conference in his official capacity. Mr Werritty was also a participant. This is already a matter of public record.
The FCO holds no information relating to written communication (either electronic or mail) between Matthew Gould and Adam Werritty at any point.
So Gould attended one meeting with Werritty as David Miliband’s Principal Private Secretary, and one as William Hague’s Principal Private Secretary. Private Secretaries in the civil service do not hold meetings on their own account. It would be very peculiar indeed for a Private Secretary to meet an outside lobbyist on his own, or to formally meet on business anyone outside the civil service without his minister’s permission. Even then, I cannot stress too much how rare this would be; the FCO has batteries of civil servants covering all subjects and geographical areas; private secretaries do not normally meet outsiders except when accompanying their minister.
What was Miliband’s business with Werritty? Does it relate to the later meeting between Werritty, Gould, Fox and Mossad at the Tel Aviv meeting? Does David Miliband’s involvement with Werritty explain the ludicrous charges of anti-semitism levelled at Paul Flynn from within his own party when he tried to dig deeper into what Gould and Werritty were up to?
Those who can count will realise that the FCO letter refers to two instances where Gould met Werritty before he became Ambassador to Israel, and three after being appointed Ambassador, but actually lists four not three – 1 and 27 September 2010 and 6 February 2011, plus the Herzilya Conference from 4-6 February 2011 (this is not the same event as the Tel Aviv dinner as it took place in a quite different town).
Either the meeting on 1 September or 27 September is a new admission. The O’Donnell report refers to only one September meeting, the infamous “briefing meeting” for Gould in the MOD between Gould, Fox and Werritty. Just before Christmas, Caroline Lucas obtained a parliamentary answer that stated there was no MOD official present at that meeting and no record was taken. The FCO letter above is the first admission of a second September meeting.
The FCO list omits the “social occasion” in summer 2010 to which Fox invited both Gould and Werritty, despite the fact that this had already been revealed in a parliamentary answer to Jeremy Corbyn. Presumably it is omitted from this Freedom of Information request because there is no written record of it within the Foreign Office. That might also explain the extraordinary omission of the “We Believe in Israel” conference in London which Fox, Gould and Werritty all attended shortly after the Herzilya Conference in Israel. In this context, am I the only one to find the formula: “The FCO holds no information relating to written communication (either electronic or mail) between Matthew Gould and Adam Werritty at any point” somewhat unconvincing. Have they even asked Gould about communications outside the FCO system?
We now have these Gould/Werritty meetings:
1) 8 September 2009 as Miliband’s Principal Private Secretary (omitted from O’Donnell report)
2) 16 June 2010 as Hague’s Principal Private Secretary (omitted from O’Donnell report)
3) A “social occasion” in summer 2010 with Gould, Fox and Werritty (omitted from above and omitted from O’Donnell report)
4) 1 September 2010 in London (only one September meeting in O’Donnell report)
5) 27 September 2010 in London (only one September meeting in O’Donnell report)
6) 4-6 February 2011 Herzilya Conference Israel (omitted from O’Donnell report)
7) 6 February 2011 Tel Aviv dinner with Mossad and Israeli military
8 15 May 2011 “We believe in Israel” conference London (omitted from above and omitted from O’Donnell report)
Only two of these eight were recorded by Gus O’Donnell in his pathetic “investigation” into the Fox Werritty affair.
It is simply impossible that Matthew Gould, a senior British diplomat, attended all of these meetings and events, yet no formal minute or note of any of them exists. Yet that is what the FCO appears to be claiming. In particular the meetings as Principal Private Secretary on 8 September 2009 and 16 June 2010 simply must have been minuted. The FCO admit they hold diary entries detailing participation, but so far have not responded to my request to release them.
I have no doubt that the near total blackout on serious media investigation into what Werritty was really up to, relates directly to the fact that he was meeting with Gould as Private Secretary to both Miliband and Hague, in this sense. There is a silent cross-party agreement among the political establishment to ally the UK strongly with the interests of Israel (and thus against the interests of the Palestinians). Werritty’s activities were therefore countenanced by both New Labour and Conservative leaderships, and the nebulous “Establishment”, including the mainstream media, have closed ranks around this.
My sources within the civil service remain adamant that the purpose of all this activity was diplomatic preparation for an attack on Iran. When those sources first contacted me, and told me to look at Gould Werritty, I genuinely had no idea that Gould and Werritty had any connection. Getting the information has been extremely difficult, but I have proven that the Gould/Werritty connection was indeed far more extensive than the Establishment were prepared to admit, and directly implicated Miliband and Hague with Werritty. It was deliberately underplayed by Gus O’Donnell’s report, in a blatant act of political lying by the then Cabinet Secretary.
I still do not have positive evidence that the purpose of this activity is an attack on Iran, but I trust my source and his or her tip-off that the place to dig was the Gould-Werritty relationship has proven to be entirely accurate. It ties in with information I have received from another source, this time a senior journalist whom again I trust, that Werritty met with Robert Gates on two occasions. I would be grateful if any of my US-based readers could try to track that down using FOI.
About 10 minutes ago I put a link to this blog on Peter Oborne’s article about the left losing the plot. Comments are moving very fast so it might not be seen.
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http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100127372/in-every-area-of-our-public-life-the-left-is-losing-the-argument/
Ah, here is Martin Bright in miserable form. I suspect this indicates why the JC didn’t take your article, Craig!
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thejc.com/news/uk-news/61136/faulty-towers-and-building-bridges-year-politics
Thanks for that link Jon. I love the paragraph:
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“But one political event above all others will continue to have consequences for the Jewish community and supporters of Israel, and that is the Werritty Affair. When it became clear that the activities of the self-styled adviser to Defence Secretary Liam Fox had been funded by pro-Israel Tory businessmen, the spectre of Jewish conspiracy theory loomed over British politics. Jewish businessmen Mick Davis, Poju Zabludowicz and Michael Lewis were known to be furious that they had been represented as “lobbyists” when their donations had been solicited by figures at the highest level of the Tory Party.”
My question about figures at the top-level of the Tory party, as with the Milliband brothers in an earlier comment, is: Who put them there? And Peter Oborne is right.
Bright is so deep in the mire, he cannot or will not see the treason. Instead the old cry of ‘anti Semitism’ comes forth from the JC.
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…But one political event above all others will continue to have consequences for the Jewish community and supporters of Israel, and that is the Werritty Affair. When it became clear that the activities of the self-styled adviser to Defence Secretary Liam Fox had been funded by pro-Israel Tory businessmen, the spectre of Jewish conspiracy theory loomed over British politics. Jewish businessmen Mick Davis, Poju Zabludowicz and Michael Lewis were known to be furious that they had been represented as “lobbyists” when their donations had been solicited by figures at the highest level of the Tory Party.
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And so we return to the comments of Labour MP Paul Flynn, who tried drag UK envoy Matthew Gould into the scandal by suggesting that meetings he held with Mr Werritty and Dr Fox in some way sinister. Why sinister? Because Mr Gould is Jewish and must therefore have been in league with Mr Werrity’s neo-Con and Zionist backers to bomb Iran. Sadly, 2011 will be remembered as the year in which the ancient poison of antisemitism bubbled up into mainstream British politics.
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Snap, Mary.
Jon,
I think you are totally wrong, and you know it too, admit it now.
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Craig just cannot string two sentences together that is worth publishing, bu such august publications.
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Irony pips.
Thanks for the link Jon.
PS Note Halfon seems to be the point man/witch finder pursuivant.
PPS Janner in All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia, now that is really funny.
Passerby : There is surely no Islamophobia in UK.Well at least not amongst the politicians!
@arsalan – yes to internet media, but it is not enough – not yet anyway. Most opinion-forming is done offline, both on the box and in dead-tree format. Pressure must be brought to bear on those outlets, either by the few decent journals out there (Private Eye) or via pressure groups (Media Lens).
@David Halpin. How can one fail to extract DNA from abody that has been dead for approx. 4 month? There seem to be some reluctance to identify the body found on the Sandringham estate.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/family_hoping_body_found_on_royal_estate_at_sandringham_is_not_their_daughter_1_1169359
I wonder whetehr the person was in any way involved with the household there.
@ Jon
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Considering that most of British public watching either BBC or Sky (including me apparently) and read Sun and Daily Mail it would be hard to imagine what impact few decent journals or pressure groups can do. Let us face this that in case there are parliamentary elections tomorrow either of two main parties will form a government (in the best case with the help of third party).
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Lets look at Mr Murray himself. He has been cut off virtually all mainstream media. I have not seen him for ages commenting on anything, although in the last few years there clearly have been number of issues on which his comments would have made at least interesting contribution. And he is no exception. Everything you can see or read on the mainstream media (mind you the main opinion making and election scenario directing sources for most of the public) is in tact with what our establishment needs. Yes, sometimes crooks like Fox are sacrificed to make us feel that we live in fare and free environment. But this is one big illusion.
@Uzbek – yes, I agree with that in the main. However I don’t agree that Private Eye exerts no pressure at all – that may have been the reason, along with Craig’s blogging, why the Independent felt able to go ahead. Ditto pressure groups – I think ML has had some positive effects, with insiders in the media saying that liberal journalists/editors were “looking over their shoulder” a bit more.
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I think some intelligently directed funding towards media activism would pay dividends over the long run, in terms of progressive wins.
This should be compulsory reading for all of the warmongers contemplating more warfare.
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The Plight of Iraqi Children
by Adnan Al-Daini / January 5th, 2012
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The sectarian and ethnic divisions among Iraqi politicians have now become so deep that trust across the sectarian and ethnic schisms, Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, is now practically non-existent. Any action or statement by any politician, whether well-intentioned or not, is viewed through this destructive prism. Where do we go from here? Is there any action that all politicians could agree upon that could not possibly be interpreted as suspicious?
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Of all the statistics that describe the devastation wreaked upon Iraq by the illegal war, I find the figures describing the plight of Iraqi children the most troubling and heart-wrenching. These children are the ones who will determine what sort of future Iraq will have. Their well-being, or lack of it, will impact on the lives of all Iraqis regardless of sect, religion, or ethnicity.
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A study by the Iraqi Society of Psychiatrists in collaboration with the World Health Organization found that 70% of children (sample 10,000) in the Sha’ab section of North Baghdad are suffering from trauma-related symptoms.
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/…
http://dissidentvoice.org/2012/01/the-plight-of-iraqi-children/
Alltogether now…
Have one comments ‘awaiting moderation’ here. Simon Tisdall is raising the issue of war with Iran just now.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/05/iran-strait-of-hormuz-threat
Deepgreenpuddock,
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Deception has always been a precursor to power since Hebrew Egyptian Pharaohs inscribed the Testament scrolls and changed Canaan to Israel.
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While Abdul Halim Khaddam remains frustrated with the Arab League’s mission in Syria, America is attempting to strangle Iran’s economy past a tipping point designed to undermine her restraint. EU officials have reached a preliminary agreement, backed by the United States, to impose an embargo on the Iranian oil exports that make up 60 percent of the country’s revenues.
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Khaddam is considered an opposition leader to the current Syrian regime by the United States and the EU. In an interview on Israel’s channel 2 TV, Khaddam acknowledged that he received money and help from the U.S. and Britain in order to overthrow the Syrian regime.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COqBQYcrd9Q
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The oil embargo may leave Tehran without its second largest market since the EU states buy 450,000 barrels of Iranian oil per day (bpd). China, the main customer of Iranian oil, has already cut its orders by more than half this month.
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Starving an entity or country is a well proven tactic of warfare that precipitates fight or surrender.
Spot on arsalan
5 Jan, 2012 – 12:42 pm
HI craig,
I know it’s slow and takes more effort, and in no way is it a suggestion to not continue your existing single-minded focus, but as a dual path, you might want to pursue here:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/
http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/courts-and-tribunals/tribunals/information-rights/index.htm
As an example of the hill to climb, remember how many years it took for Heather Brooke’s to achieve her most important work, the hurdles and constant challenges, as well as the whole murdoch-hacking affair, which is still playing out, but eventually, you have to know, as long as you stay you, you will prevail……………
Yours kindly,
MN
Ingo – I have also placed a link to this article on Simon Tisdall’s piece – but if it hasn’t been moderated within a very few minutes I shall be very surprised. They don’t like Craig – probably because he gets closer to the truth than their hacks do.
Jeni Parsons (alias havantaclu)
Thanks Havantaclu, I have not been back there yet but don’t expect them to let it go through.
But, I posted under my pseudonym on the political parties Independent thread of politcs .co.uk and added the link, see what happens.
Politics co. uk is quiet lame and they do not like hard issues much. Anything they can’t read up about is a little hard to comprehend for some over there it seems, early days yet.
Just been denied access and chucked out by the Guardian, not even with signing in was I able to get on to the thread, they must have some powerfull electronic measures at their hand.
Will try again later.
Good stuff. This will make a nice footnote to the History of the Third(?) Anglo-Iranian war.
The media reports were all that Gates was opposed to an attack on Iran.
I’ve just made what I consider to be quite a clever response to somebody called Leo999, who is clearly in favour of an attack on Iran.
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Response to Leo999, 5 January 2012 06:11PM
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Your attitude itself is belligerent and your knowledge of history warped. I know the human rights records of Iran leave much to be desired and I’ve written to the Iranian Embassy probably on more occasions than you. but I don’t denigrate a media report because it isn’t Reuters. Reuters and our own press and government are biased and only let us know what they want us to know. For example, where would you learn about news stories like this.
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http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2012/01/werrittymiliband-they-were-all-in-it/#comment-336226
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Wouldn’t it be supressed by the neocon-Zionist warmongers of whom you clearly approve?”
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It’s clever because if it stays up it gets the link to this blog in the public eye, but if it is taken down it proves my point.
So now we’re heading for war with Iran. The West’s on a militaristic roll after the thrilling success of the Libyan campaign. Oh, how the ordinary Libyans must be intoxicated with the sweet air of freedom once more after the long, dark, years of tyranny.
Can the juggernaut of war against Iran be stopped now that it’s gathering momentum? I seriously doubt it, as there is no opposition any longer, and this is linked to the demise of meaningful democracy. A few of the trappings are left, but, in reality, precious little substance. The people the demos, their views mean next to nothing, and anyway nobody is asking them or really cares what they think. As long as they stay off the streets and remain passive the ruling elite are happy and firmly in charge, and can do almost whatever they please, as Libya proved, and this is after Iraq!
Obviously the US/UK/Israel can attack Iran with close to impunity. Iran cannot really fight back because that might trigger an even more brutal, bloody, and destructive response from the West, perhaps even the use of nuclear weapons, which would act as a terrible lesson to the rest of the world about the consequences of provoking the empire. Iran could stand as a truly terrible example to the world of what the empire is capable of, like destoying Carthage.
And Obama can “get away” with attacking Iran, something some Republican, after Afghanistan and Iraq would have difficulty with, which is probably why Obama was elevated to the status of Caesar by the empire’s leading families.
The question isn’t whether Iran will be attacked and destroyed, but how and when. There’s also the little matter of the Russian and Chinese reaction. Do they just sit back passively and let the US crush Iran, don’t they understand they are also in line for regime change and democracy too? Surely they are going to begin to feel lonely as one by one those nations that remain independent of the Western empire are picked off one by one?
I should have added my previous comment was a response to:
“Iran could be bluffing in the strait of Hormuz – but can US risk calling it?”
by Simon Tisdall at the Guardian.
A pretence here that Gould was speaking out against the settlements.
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UK Embassy in Israel
UK envoy slams, retracts criticism of J’lem building
By HERB KEINON AND MELANIE LIDMAN
01/03/2012 20:33
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The only problem is that there was no new announcement of a new construction project beyond the Green Line.
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http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=252062
some points on the Werrity/Gould fiasco and the blog comments
– that “traitor” is raised as an issue but who will try that one out in a UK court or at the European Court or at the UN..?
None/ ingenting /nada / rien was the reaction in media or anywhere to Blair standing on the Speakers podium at the Congress of the United States of America and pledging on oath “his country..(!!)to the american cause
– the american (pnac) cause at the time pre-bombing Baghdad was and then effectively became the result to halt Hussein getting Euro’s for the UN permitted “humanitarian” oil
– pity the Euro folks didn’t wake up to that move quickly enough to save on the obvious complete collapse of money economy designed by the fed courtesy of Milton Friedman all those except the cheese eating monkeys who now seem quite content to be part of the Quartet – playing on the fiddle?
Craig – if you want to follow up on the “The Catholic Orangeman” I’ve got a piece ready to go about the recent “discovery” about goings on in a community in the west of england.. + lots of about ongoing Petitions at Parliament to put a stop to the money spinning activity of certain Roll A parliamentary agents.. + do you know any good pro bono type media lawyers that will help out with undoing part of confusion at the BBC..?
email address as posted
Mary, I read that article and agree it was a pretence. It’s just so he can say I nearly went against Israel on this one.
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As regards my link to this blog in The Guardian as a comment to the Simon Tisdall piece it is still there, I’m happy to say. I’m quite pleased with The Guardian publishing my epetition last week calling for the resignation of Dominic Grieve over the Dr David Kelly death.
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http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/26133
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Perhaps Craig could heal any rift, if there is one, with a measured approach. I don’t know but might be worth a try.
Yes, I know the source isn’t exactly impartial, but it gives Russia’s view of Western foreign policy. Sometimes it’s good to get a different perspective.
http://rt.com/usa/news/us-troops-israel-iran-257/
If true, it’s something to keep an eye on.
If someone can re-assure me that the pieces of a big nasty aren’t being slipped into place, I’d be mightily relieved!
Given the location, I would say Syria is the first target, although I wouldn’t rule out intervention of some sort in Egypt. The Arab Spring has forced the Empire’s hand: it needs to act to secure the remaining markets and oil supplies. Afghanistan was chapter one, but the unstable situation in Egypt, also in Bahrain and Yemen, and to a lesser extent Tunisia and even Saudi itself, has meant a rush to Chapters Libya and, as I say, probably Syria, in the first instance. I think the Iranian coda is a while off yet, although with neocon/Zionist psychopaths, you never know.
so far i’ve emailed my mp 3-4 times about this whole can of worms. no reply.
Thеу [Adam Werritty аnԁ Liam Fox] wеrе both guests аt a fund-raising dinner last year аt thе Mandarin Oriental hotel attended bу U.S. defence industry lobbyists аnԁ military officials, thе Daily Telegraph revealed.
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A spokesman fοr Dr Fox ѕаіԁ thаt hе hаԁ bееn attending thе event іn a ‘private capacity’ during a period οf annual leave аnԁ thаt thе visit ԁіԁ nοt involve thе υѕе οf taxpayers’ money.
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Thе event іn Washington wаѕ organised bу US Atlantic Bridge – thе sister organisation οf thе now defunct charity whісh Mr Werritty used tο head іn London.
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Thе chief executive Amanda Bowman tοƖԁ thе Telegraph: ‘Adam wаѕ wіth hіm (Dr Fox). Hе ѕhοwеԁ up thаt night bесаυѕе hе wаѕ travelling wіth Liam.
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‘Hе wаѕ Liam’s mοѕt trusted friend, аnԁ wаѕ аt one οf thе top tables talking tο οthеr guests.’
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Othеr guests аt thе dinner wеrе ѕаіԁ tο hаνе included General James Mattis, commander οf US Central Command, several senators, аnԁ Jeffrey Gordon, a lobbyist whο served аѕ a spokesman fοr thе thеn US defence secretary Robert Gates.
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Another name to investigate is Luke Coffey; the Sunday Times (6 June 2010) in an article entitled ‘Minister lets US ‘mole’ roam MoD’ stated:
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LIAM FOX, the defence secretary, is facing questions after installing an American aide with links to US intelligence services in the heart of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
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MPs have raised concerns about Luke Coffey, a former US army captain, who has been appointed to a highly sensitive role as Fox’s special adviser. He has not yet been given full security clearance.
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Coffey set up the London chapter of an American think tank, many of whose members have backgrounds in the CIA and other American military defence intelligence agencies.
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Fox, who has strong links with Washington through his Atlantic Bridge charity, has defended Coffey’s appointment and dismissed concerns of spying. He has highlighted the importance of the so-called “special relationship” between Britain and America, saying: “It’s not as if he is Russian.”